Mark Gustowski is the new head of QUT’s Creative Enterprise Australia.
Former Labor premier of Victoria John Brumby will become chancellor of La Trobe U next March. He will replace present chancellor, and former Monash U VC, Richard Larkins.
Brian Walker (ANU and CSIRO) receives an Asahi Glass Foundation 2018 Blue Planet prize for his research on environmental sustainability and resilience. The 50m Yen award translates to $A600 000.
Two Hunter region researchers have won awards from the European Respiratory Society. Peter Gibson, (John Hunter Hospital and University of Newcastle) wins the society’s gold medal, and A$77 000 for his asthma research. Jodie Simpson (University of Newcastle) receives a $50 000 research award for her work on airway diseases.
Daniel Pellicci from the University of Melbourne is awarded the Commonwealth health minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research. Dr Pellicci researches immune T cells.
Theoretical physicist Susan Coppersmith will join UNSW next year, moving from the University of Wisconsin.
The WA state government has joined with Edith Cowan U and Murdoch U to fund visiting phenomics fellows. Elaine Holmes (Imperial College London) and Ruey Leng Loo(Medway School of Pharmacy) will work in WA for four years.
Microbiologist Bill Ashraf is Macquarie University’s first principal fellow of the organisation formerly known as the Higher Education Academy. (It’s now AdvanceHE).
Curtin U’s new head of the school of public health will be Rosa Alati. She will move from the University of Queensland later in the year.
a Trobe U has appointed Simon Evans as PVC of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce. He moves from the University of Melbourne.
Juliet Gerrard is appointed the New Zealand PM’s chief science advisor. Professor Gerrard is a biochemist at the University of Auckland.
The University of Canterbury has a new vice chancellor, Cheryl de la Rey, now VC at the University of Pretoria. She replaces Rod Carr, who retires after ten years.
Elizabeth de Somer is confirmed as CEO of Medicines Australia, after acting in the job since April. She steps up from five years as the lobby’s policy and research director. Medicines Australia, “represents the discovery-driven pharmaceutical industry in Australia.”
The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering awards are announced;
Clunies Ross entrepreneur of the year: Erol Harvey, (Swinburne U)
Clunies Ross award for knowledge commercialisation – David Huang, Peter Czabotar, Andrew Roberts and Guillaume Lessene, (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute)
Clunies Ross award for innovation: Jim Aylward (owner, Oncolin Pty Ltd) Batterham
Medal for engineering excellence: Madhu Bhaskaran (RMIT)
ICM Agrifood award: Angela van der Wouw and Shu Kee Lam (University of Melbourne)